Welcome to our review of Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, the third installment in the Atelier Ryza series.
The story begins when a group of islands called Kark Isles appear near Ryza’s—the protagonist’s—hometown. Seeing this as a threat to their home, Ryza and her friends investigate the isles and discover ruins with a huge gate. Just as Ryza approaches the gate, a strange voice echoes in her head, telling her to reach the Code of the Universe. What is it that lies beyond the gate, and what does the “Code of the Universe” mean? In hopes of finding a way to save their home, Ryza and her friends set off on a great adventure that revolves around a Key and the roots of alchemy.
Explore a vast open field! In this title, multiple maps are connected seamlessly, allowing players to move between different areas without the loading screen transition. Enjoy exploring in a vast, living world with a greater degree of freedom.
With a total of 11 party members! Reunite with characters from previous games and meet new key characters essential to the story. Embark on your adventure with a wide range of friends—one of the largest in the series.
Use the “Keys” with unknown powers to unlock various gameplay features! In the heart of this title will be the new “Key” system. Keys have various types and effects that can be used in exploration, synthesis, and combat. Make good use of them while adventuring to enjoy a more satisfying, smoother experience!
Actually, this is not just the third installment, but also the ending of an amazing series as your chances to be the ultimate chemist waifu come to an end in this majestic tale. Much like other Atelier games, I will admit to being a fan of the series. Maybe the potion-making parts have gotten a little out of hand and become too complicated, but it is just part of the charm of the Atelier universe.
As this is the final game of the series, I would recommend (obviously) the first one first, you know, the proper order to start a trilogy. But in case you do decide to start off with Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, there are some amazing videos to introduce you to the series and its world. Otherwise, you are thrown into a game with a ton of things to learn and some complicated potion-making.
What I did not enjoy properly in this latest game, the motions made by running around. By default, the running around is incredibly choppy and when you purposely start to avoid running and just do everything “casually strolling around”, you know you are adding a few hours of gameplay to an already long game. Not that more time enjoyed is bad or so, just not like this. Add in a couple of times the game froze on me and you know all the downsides I experienced personally. Though I do expect you to have a better experience than me, I did not go into the settings to try and smooth things out with the camera panning, I believe in playing the originally intended way.
Now I want to finish the review on a positive note. Atelier games are what they are, played one, know how to play most of them. The graphics are usually top-notch though at times a little spicy. I have more than once called some of the female characters perfect waifu material and I stand by that feeling. The character development is always great and aside from some occasional minor annoyances, they stand the test of time in their niche genre.
Yes, I would say their genre is niche because they are not really a true RPG, despite all the obvious proof you ought to call them one. There are just very few games out there that do the crafting and RPG together so perfectly. Where does Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key fit into the series? Well, it may be one of the better ones, despite the minor issues I ran into.
In conclusion, Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key is a great way to end a fun series of games. Do start the trilogy with the first game, so you get to experience it all.
